Grapes for the HRW series wines come from our 117-acre Napa Valley vineyard, as they do for all of our wines. The grapes we use for the HRW are individual blocks or barrels that for one reason or another do not have the complexity we require for our Hendry label, but are tasty drinking nonetheless . In some vintages we make one variety, in others, several.

The vines grow on thin stony soil between 200 and 300 feet above sea level. Morning fog and strong afternoon breezes from San Pablo Bay moderate the climate. The vines were planted from 1996-2002. They are spaced 7’ x 5’, cordon trained and spur pruned. The clones are U.C. Davis 4, 7 and 15, grafted to St. George roots. A seven-foot vertical trellis system supports the cordon and the canopy. The average production is between 2 and 2.5 tons per acre.

One of the components of the HRW is the “press wine” from the same grapes as our Hendry label Cabernet Sauvignon. Press wine is the wine remaining in the tank after the free-run wine is drained from the tank following fermentation. HRW Cabernet is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. It was aged for 18 months in French Oak barrels, 10% of which were new. The remaining barrels are 1 and 2-year-old barrels used in our estate Cabernet program.

A versatile wine for barbecues and weeknight dinners. Spicy, berry, cedar and herbal aromas. Blackberry-like fruit on the palate, balanced by the cedary component of moderate oak and enough tannic “grip” to please most Cab lovers. Try with everything from rib-eyes or cheeseburgers on the barbecue to pepperoni pizza.